Body therapy apparatus

Abstract

A foot therapy apparatus is provided having a bladder for retaining fluid. The bladder is sized and supported for receiving a user's feet thereon. The foot therapy apparatus may include various therapeutic features, such as a fluid pump for providing a fluid flow massage effect to the feet of the user. A heater may be provided for heating the fluid. The bladder may be translucent and LED's may be provided in a substrate that supports the bladder for conveying an illumination effect through the bladder.

1 . A foot massager comprising: 
 a portable substrate adapted to rest upon an underlying support surface;    a flexible bladder mounted upon the substrate, the bladder having a top surface spaced apart from the substrate that is sized to receive a pair of feet of a user thereupon, the bladder for retaining fluid therein, thereby providing a flexible fluid support to the feet of the user; and    a fluid pump in fluid communication with at least one aperture formed in the substrate for pumping the fluid within the bladder thereby imparting a fluid flow massage effect to the user's feet.    
     
     
         2 . The foot massager of  claim 1  further comprising a vibratory massage mechanism operably cooperating with the substrate for vibrating the fluid within the bladder thereby imparting a fluid vibratory massage effect to the user's feet.  
     
     
         3 . The foot massager of  claim 1  further comprising a side wall extending from the substrate, partially enclosing the bladder for providing lateral support thereto.  
     
     
         4 . The foot massager of  claim 1  wherein the bladder includes ornamental indicia provided thereon for enhancing an aesthetic appearance thereof.  
     
     
         5 . The foot massager of  claim 1  wherein the bladder further comprises a fluid port for permitting the user to add and remove fluid.  
     
     
         6 . The foot massager of  claim 1  wherein the fluid is further defined as water.  
     
     
         7 . The foot massager of  claim 1  wherein the bladder further comprises a plurality of tabs extending peripherally therefrom, each affixed to the substrate.  
     
     
         8 . The foot massager of  claim 1  wherein the at least one aperture is further defined as a pair of spaced apart jets oriented to direct the fluid flow to the bladder top surface for imparting a forced fluid massage effect to each of the user's feet.  
     
     
         9 . The foot massager of  claim 1  wherein the substrate and bladder are disposed within the basin of a footbath for submerging the bladder within water so that the user may soak its feet while receiving the fluid flow massage effect from the fluid within the bladder.  
     
     
         10 . The foot massager of  claim 1  further comprising a heater mounted to the substrate for heating the fluid within the bladder thereby imparting a therapeutic heated fluid effect to the user's feet.  
     
     
         11 . The foot massager of  claim 10  wherein the heater is further defined as a sheath heater for transferring heat across a surface area.  
     
     
         12 . The foot massager of  claim 10  further comprising a thermostat in communication with the heater for regulating a maximum temperature of the heater.  
     
     
         13 . The foot massager of  claim 10  further comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LED's) mounted to the substrate wherein the bladder is formed from an at least partially translucent material so that the LED's convey an illumination effect through the bladder, wherein the plurality of LED's further comprise a plurality of red LED's that illuminate upon the fluid reaching a predefined temperature.  
     
     
         14 . The foot massager of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LED's) mounted to the substrate wherein the bladder is formed from an at least partially translucent material so that the LED's convey an illumination effect through the bladder.  
     
     
         15 . The foot massager of  claim 14  further comprising a translucent plate oriented between the bladder and the substrate for distributing a load from the bladder to the substrate and permitting an the LED's to convey the illumination effect therethrough.  
     
     
         16 . The foot massager of  claim 14  wherein the plurality of LED's further comprise a plurality of blue LED's and a plurality of red LED's for conveying a plurality of illumination effects, each corresponding to an operating mode of the massager.  
     
     
         17 . The foot massager of  claim 16  further comprising an integrated circuit chip in operable communication with the LED's for providing an aesthetic illumination display.  
     
     
         18 . The foot massager of  claim 1  further comprising a housing having an internal cavity wherein the fluid pump is oriented within the housing internal cavity and the substrate is mounted to the housing adjacent to the internal cavity.  
     
     
         19 . The foot massager of  claim 18  further comprising elastomeric feet mounted to an underside of the housing for dampening vibrational impact to the underlying support surface resultant from the fluid pump.  
     
     
         20 . The foot massager of  claim 18  further comprising a switch mounted on the housing in operable communication with the fluid pump for controlling the operation of the massage mechanism, the switch being sized to be actuated by a user's foot.  
     
     
         21 . The foot massager of  claim 20  wherein the switch is further defined as a three position switch to provide a massage operation, a combined massage and heat operation, and an off position.  
     
     
         22 . A foot therapy apparatus comprising: 
 a portable substrate adapted to rest upon an underlying support surface;    a flexible bladder mounted upon the substrate, the bladder having a top surface spaced apart from the substrate that is sized to receive a pair of feet of a user thereupon, the bladder for retaining fluid therein, thereby providing a flexible fluid support to the feet of the user; and    a heater mounted to the substrate for heating the fluid within the bladder thereby imparting a therapeutic heated fluid effect to the user's feet.    
     
     
         23 . A foot therapy apparatus comprising: 
 a housing adapted to rest upon an underlying support surface, the housing having an internal cavity and an opening formed therein spaced apart and facing away from the underlying support surface;    a substrate mounted within the housing internal cavity adjacent to the opening;    a flexible bladder formed from a generally translucent material, mounted upon the substrate and at least partially received within the housing internal cavity for receiving lateral support therefrom, the bladder having a top surface spaced apart from the substrate that is sized to receive a pair of feet of a user thereupon, the bladder retaining fluid therein, thereby providing a flexible fluid support to the feet of the user; and    a plurality of light emitting diodes (LED's) mounted to the substrate for conveying an illumination effect through the bladder.    
     
     
         24 . A portable massage apparatus comprising: 
 a housing;    a massage surface mounted to the housing for contacting a body part of a user;    a massage mechanism oriented within the housing for imparting a massage effect to the massage surface for massaging the body part; and    a light source mounted to the massage surface for conveying an illumination effect from the massage surface.    
     
     
         25 . The massage apparatus of  claim 24  wherein the light source further comprises at least one light emitting diode (LED).  
     
     
         26 . The massage apparatus of  claim 24  wherein the light source indicates a mode of massage operation of the massage mechanism.  
     
     
         27 . The massage apparatus of  claim 24  wherein the massage surface is generally translucent and the light source is oriented within the housing beneath the massage surface for conveying the illumination effect through the massage surface.  
     
     
         28 . The massage apparatus of  claim 24  further comprising a generally translucent housing intermediate portion provided adjacent to the massage surface, wherein the light source is oriented within the housing for conveying the illumination effect through the housing intermediate portion.  
     
     
         29 . The massage apparatus of  claim 24  wherein the housing is adapted to rest upon an underlying support surface and the massage surface is sized to receive a body part rested thereon.  
     
     
         30 . The massage apparatus of  claim 24  further comprising a heater oriented in the housing for heating the massage surface thereby imparting a therapeutic heated effect to the user's body part.  
     
     
         31 . The massage apparatus of  claim 30  wherein the light source further comprises at least one red light emitting diode (LED) to indicate a heating operation.  
     
     
         32 . The massage apparatus of  claim 24  wherein the light source further comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LED's) of a first color and a plurality of LED's of a second color for conveying a plurality of illumination effects, each corresponding to an operating mode of the massager.  
     
     
         33 . The massage apparatus of  claim 32  further comprising an integrated circuit chip in operable communication with the LED's for providing an aesthetic illumination display.